Factory International

Presented by Originals Creator Network North

Running in Motion

Free to attend – no booking required
A runner sprints through a city at night, captured in motion blur against streaks of urban lights. The dynamic movement and glowing cityscape create a sense of speed and determination.
Date
25 - 26 Apr 2025
Venue
The Social, Aviva Studios, Water Street, Manchester, M3 4JQ
Tickets

Friday 25 April: 6pm till close

Saturday 26 April: 10am–10pm*

*With a venue like ours, every night is different. Make sure to check our opening hours ahead of your visit to get the most up to date times.

Free to attend – no booking required

Accessibility features available for this event: Wheelchair Access

Introducing Running in Motion – an exhibition of new works inspired by running culture and our fascination with fast

What does speed mean to you? How does it feel to move fast?

Discover the essence of speed with a free exhibition from Originals Creator Network (OCN) North – a group of 20 emerging creatives from across Manchester and the North.

Running in Motion takes over the Social with four major works: PULSE, Do Not Go Gentle, Unsung Heroes, and Three Stories, Three Stripes. Each explores speed through a unique lens, taking inspiration from Manchester culture, community, and adidas’ iconic Adizero shoe.

Explore the rhythm of running with audio-visual installation PULSE and a brand-new zine on Manchester’s vibrant nightlife, Do Not Go Gentle. Meet the exceptional people who uplift our running communities with artwork Unsung Heroes and taste the runner’s high with video installation Three Stories, Three Stripes.

Running in Motion is curated and created by the first ever cohort of OCN North – a six-month development programme established in 2024 by adidas Originals and Factory International.

Through audio-visual installations, interactive storytelling, and powerful design, the cohort has reimagined what it means to move fast.

See it quick – before it’s gone!

Supported by

Explore the works

They watch the blur of motion; you feel the clarity of purpose.

To them, it’s a race; to you, it’s a connection to your flow.

From the sidelines, they see speed. From within, you feel the momentum pulling you forward.

They see effort; what you feel is transcendence—a fleeting moment where your mind and body align.

PULSE is an audio-visual experience exploring the synergy between speed, sound and rhythm. This immersive installation blends an interactive soundscape with dynamic visuals to present a constellation of Manchester’s running culture and community.

PULSE gets to the heart of how it feels to go fast – the endurance and euphoria of runner’s high are refracted through a modular soundtrack where audiences are invited to set their own cadence and emulate poetic expressions of pace and flow.

By Beni De Makoso, Ella Murray, Brit Seaton, Elizabeth Bisuga and Arif True.

Step into Do Not Go Gentle, an electrifying zine and installation exploring speed through Manchester’s vibrant nightlife. From drag to dance, clubbing to running, this project captures the pulse of the city after dark, revealing how ‘fast’ is felt beyond the physical. Bold imagery, design, and storytelling celebrate diverse subcultures, while the adizero range weaves into the narrative.

In contrast to the zine’s high-energy aesthetic, the installation offers a moment of stillness—inviting visitors to sit beneath a glowing moon and reflect. Visitors are invited to create their own A5 zine pages underneath the moon as part of our exhibition.

Featuring worn trainers, drag accessories, and curated visuals, this immersive experience invites audiences to feel, see, and live the story. Expect a visually striking, celebratory, and thought-provoking journey through Manchester’s nocturnal spirit.

By Jack Jameson, Rosa Fryer, Honor Rowlands, Amy Parton and Oscar Cloud.

Unsung Heroes spotlights exceptional real-life stories that uncover the profound impact running has beyond the finish line; honouring the transformative, healing power of running and celebrating the unsung heroes that uplift our running communities.

Featuring a handcrafted medallion displayed upon bespoke podiums Unsung Heroes serves a new kind of recognition – not just speed, but the mental resilience and determination it takes to keep moving forward. Spectators are invited to rethink how we reward ourselves for overcoming adversity, reminding us that every step we take, is built on the moments we chose to rise after falling, and how our personal triumphs have such profound impact in shaping the milestones of those around us. Our fast is only possible because of each-other.

By Angelica Giles, Rakhel Ojinnaka, Kymara Akinpelumi, Areesha Ali and Hriday Das.

Three Stories, Three Stripes is a three-channel video installation exploring the spiritual and somatic possibilities of runners high. Set to a bassline heavy score, each film explores speed as a response to inner city life.

Through experimental frequencies and the influence of sound system culture, audiences can expect to feel immersed as they follow three personal stories, sharing a common thread of human nature and how each individual relates to running.

By Ayman Chaudry, Ella Mayamothi Sommeil, Sujanhariharan Ragunathan, Brody Salmon and Anthony Namba.

adidas Originals Creator Network (OCN) North

Polaroids of 20 creatives from the adidas Originals Creator Network North programme
Meet the first ever cohort of Originals Creator Network (OCN) North – a six-month development programme for emerging creatives
Meet the cohort →

Access information

Our full address is Aviva Studios, Water Street, Manchester M3 4JQ and the what3words is chop.feeds.chase.

You can approach Aviva Studios along Water Street (coming from Quay Street) or along Liverpool Road (coming from Deansgate or Castlefield). Both entrances to the building have double sets of glass doors.

Once inside Aviva Studios, there is step-free access to all areas of the venue. The flooring throughout the building is smooth concrete.

The entrance to the Warehouse is by lift or stairs from the Social. Two lifts and a staircase to the Warehouse are located in the Social opposite the bar.

The entrance to the Law Family Hall is by lift, escalator or stairs from one side of the Social beside the brick arches. There is only one escalator, and this will take you up to the Law Family Hall before the show, and will be reversed so that you can travel down at the end of the performance.

The Social has a range of seating, including those with arms and backs.

The bars in the Social and Hall Foyer have lowered accessible service points.

Our building is large. We have portable stools available to borrow if you would benefit from resting along the way during your visit.

We have wheelchair spaces and seats at standing events for all events.

There are accessible toilets on all public levels of our building.

Accessible toilets are located inside the main toilets space in the brick arches of the Social.

Here you’ll find a mixture of accessible cubicles with left- or right-hand transfer, towards the back of the space, as well as ambulant accessible cubicles with grab rails, as well as a Changing Places facility.

The toilets in the brick arches of the Social are split into male, female and gender neutral – all of which contain accessible cubicles. There are shared handwashing facilities in each arch – they have soap dispensers under the mirrors to your left and dryers to the right. There are separate handwashing facilities inside the accessible cubicles.

There are additional single-room accessible toilets located in both Hall Foyers, at stalls and circle level.

There are additional single-room accessible toilets located in the Warehouse Foyer.

You do not need a key to use the accessible toilets at Aviva Studios.

Assistance dogs are welcome in our building, and we can provide mats and water bowls on request, just ask a host when you arrive. We can also take care of your assistance dog if you do not want to take your dog into the performance space. Please also refer to our assistance dogs policy.

If you are bringing an assistance dog to a ticketed event, please let us know in advance by contacting access@factoryinternational.org or calling our access phone number: 0161 817 4531 (phone lines are open 10am to 6pm, Monday to Saturday).

Travel information

The building can be approached along Water Street (coming from Quay Street) or along Liverpool Road (coming from Deansgate or Castlefield).

There are a number of rail and tram stations within the city centre which are just a short distance from Aviva Studios. The closest stations are:

By Bike

There are 40 bike parking spaces at Aviva Studios including space for two accessible bikes.

National Cycling Route 6 passes close to the venue and this TfGM webpage can help with route planning.

You can also hire bikes from on-street docking stations across the city centre. The closest docking stations to our venue are currently on Deansgate by Liverpool Road and (400m from the building) and by King Street (500m from the building). Take a look at Transport for Greater Manchester’s webpage for advice on cycle hire.

By Walking and Other Active Means

Aviva Studios can be approached along Water Street via Liverpool Road (coming from Deansgate or Castlefield).

If you're coming from Quay Street, the safest route to avoid construction works is via the cut-through opposite Gartside Street and past Booking.com.

All footways in the surrounding area are well lit and there are appropriate crossings across all main roads.

Pedestrians with visual impairment are recommended to approach the building via Water Street, from Liverpool Road. This route has traditional carriageway and footway design with fixed street furniture which should help with navigation to the entrance.

A footbridge at Left Bank in Spinningfields provides an accessible link across the River Irwell to Salford Central station, and a further footbridge also links Aviva Studios with the Salford area of Middlewood Locks.

Free bus

The free bus 1 service connects Piccadilly Station, Oxford Road and Deansgate rail stations, as well as other areas of the city centre to Aviva Studios.

The service stops on both Liverpool Road and Quay Street, close to the venue. Buses operate every 10 minutes during the day from Monday to Sunday and they are wheelchair accessible. For full details of the free bus 1 route and timetable, please visit the Bee Network website.

Bee Network services

Piccadilly Gardens is situated in the heart of Manchester and there are a number of bus services that will take you on to Aviva Studios. The 33 bus which starts at Shudehill, calls at Piccadilly Gardens and will take you straight to Liverpool Road. Services operate every 30 minutes Monday to Saturday and every hour on Sunday.

Alternatively, you can board either a 35, 36 or 38 bus to Bridge Street bus stop which is a seven-minute walk via Left Bank and Water Street to the venue.

Coming into Manchester Victoria rail station? Head on over to Shudehill Interchange (which is a seven-minute walk via Hanover Street) where you can catch the 33 bus to Liverpool Road.

Alternatively, you can board either an 8, 67 or 100 bus from Manchester Victoria to Bridge Street bus stop, which is a seven-minute walk via Left Bank and Water Street to the venue.

There is a car park approximately 0.2 miles (350m) from Aviva Studios at Water Street Car Park, New Elm Rd, Manchester, M3 4JH.

There is also a NCP car park (Manchester Spinningfields) approximately 0.25 miles (400m) away from Aviva Studios at Spinningfields, New Quay Street, Manchester, M3 3BE. It has 35 accessible bays.

There are a small number of Blue Badge spaces along Water St and Quay St. Otherwise head towards Liverpool Road, Great John St and Lower Byrom St – close to our neighbours, the Science and Industry Museum where there are a small number of additional Blue Badge spaces.

For a list of other parking bays available in the area, visit Manchester City Council website.

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